Modern “wood-type” golf clubs (notably, “drivers,” “fairway woods,” and “utility or hybrid clubs”), are generally called “metalwoods” since they tend to be made of strong, lightweight metals, such as titanium. An exemplary metalwood golf club, such as a driver or fairway wood, typically includes a hollow shaft and a golf club head coupled to a lower end of the shaft. Most modern versions of driver-type club heads are made, at least in part, from a lightweight but strong metal, such as a titanium alloy. In most cases, the golf club head is includes a hollow body with a face portion. The face portion has a front surface, known as a strike face, configured to contact the golf ball during a proper golf swing.
Some fairway woods are made of a titanium alloy. However, shortcomings in conventional titanium alloys require thicker walls and additional reinforcements to ensure the fairway woods are durable enough to withstand repeated impacts with a golf ball. These compensations for the shortcomings of conventional titanium alloys can have a negative impact on the performance of the golf club head. For example, thicker walls and additional reinforcements can undesirably raise the center-of-gravity of the golf club head.